indieBRAG Blog

We are back in school after a wonderful Christmas! It is now time for me to think about books once again. I have a couple of books I really want to talk to the authors about, so check back soon. Do you have some questions for one of the authors of a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree? Just let me know in the comments and I will be sure to ask. Talk to you soon-

Author Interview with Karen Aminadra Karen Aminadra is an English author who was born in London, and grew up in Hertfordshire, England. As a teacher, she worked in academies, schools, and universities in Ecuador, Russia, and Spain as well as the U.K. She returned to England in 2005 where she met the man who was to become her husband. They settled in Northamptonshire where Karen embarked on a writing career to fulfil a life-long ambition. She is now the author of five novels, Charlotte – Pride & Prejudice Continues, Rosings – Pride & Prejudice Continues book 2, Relative Deceit, The Uncanny Life of Polly, and It's a Man's World. In 2012 she received a B.R.A.G Medallion ™ for her debut novel Charlotte – Pride & Prejudice Continues and in 2013 she was once again honoured with a B.R.A.G Medallion ™ for Rosings – Pride & Prejudice Continues book 2. More information can be found on her two blogs http://kaminadra.blogspot.co.uk/ and http://karenaminadrablog.wordpress.com/ Stephanie: Hello, Karen! It is always a pleasure to chat with you and congrats on winning the B.R.A.G Medallion. First off I would like to say that your stories are fantastic and I have enjoyed them very much. They…

According to an article by Alison Flood in theguardian (see link below) writing is a very hard way to make a living. She points out that while we often hear about the eight-figure deals that a few fortunate authors (very few) are able to secure, the vast majority of authors, both traditionally and self-published barely scrape by on their earnings. However, her article concludes with a quote by successful indie author Hugh Howey that holds out hope for the future of self-publishing. "...The simple fact is this: getting paid for your writing is not easy. But self-publishing is making it easier. How much easier? We don't have sufficient data to know. But a conservative estimate would be that five to 10 times as many people are paying bills with their craft today as there was just a few years ago. And that should be celebrated." So hang in there and keep writing! Bob The Guardian

Author interview with J.A. Blake J.A. Blake (Jennifer) has been working in school public relations and marketing for more than 15 years. Her areas of strength are in feature and press release writing, publication design, speech writing and presentation, special event planning, and meeting facilitation. She has won numerous commendations from professional organizations, including awards from the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals. In addition to her work with schools, Jennifer is the owner of Blake Communications, a small company specializing in writing, design, and editing services. Jennifer received a Bachelor's Degree in English from Neumann University and a Master of Science in Management from Rosemont College. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the Public Relations Society of America. She is a lifelong writer and reader who, in her spare time, enjoys traveling with her husband, Kai, and playing with their dogs – two pugs named Calvin and Lucy. Stephanie: Jennifer, congrats on winning the B.R.A.G Medallion! I absolutely love the title of your book, "They All Fall Down." Please tell me a little about your story. They All Fall Down Book Cover Jennifer: They All Fall Down is about London Drake, an aspiring musician with a…

Author Interview with David Beasley David Beasley was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and graduated from McMaster University with a BA in Arts. He worked, studied and wrote in several European countries for five years and then In Manhattan, New York for 35 years, where he worked as a research librarian in the New York Public Research Libraries for much of that time. He organized a union for library workers and used his experience to write a trilogy of mystery novels—The Jenny, The Grand Conspiracy, Overworld/Underworld. He earned a Masters Degree in Library Science and a PhD in political economics from the progressive New School for Social Research. He returned to Canada in 1992 and has been writing and publishing under the imprint Davus Publishing. He has written much fiction, including historical fiction novels, but has been recognized by the award of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for his non-fiction and biographies. His blog on his website http://www.davuspublishing.com features the Major John Richardson Newsletter which gathers information on and controversies about Canada's first novelist, whose biography he wrote. He returned to Canada in 1992 and has been writing and publishing under the imprint Davus Publishing in Simcoe, Ontario. Stephanie: Hello…

It is well documented that reading is essential for our children to be successful in school and in their future careers. In fact, how well and how often a child reads for pleasure has more effect on their future success in school than any other factor – including their social and economic backgrounds. We spend countless hours and a great deal of money preparing our physical being with make-up, hair, clothes, bathing and doing exercise from a young age. And yet, we find it difficult to put aside a few moments a day to read. The benefits of reading non-fiction are obvious in learning skills and educating ourselves in fields such as history, science, language and on and on. But psychologists now believe that reading fiction can also have enormous benefits to both young and old in helping them understand the human character. Reading fiction increases our ability to build social ties and our empathy toward others. It can actually develop our social brains and make us more adept at camaraderie, collaboration and even love! There is an emotional response that occurs to most readers when they have read a book that successfully describes their exact predicament. A perfect example…

Author Interview with Richard Bunning Richard Bunning was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, UK in 1956 and has subsequently lived his life in Lincolnshire, Vaud in Switzerland, and the Manawatu in New Zealand. His main schooling was in Leicestershire and Worcestershire, followed by enjoying a degree in International Relations at the University of Keele in Staffordshire and agriculture studies at Cirencester in Gloucestershire. Currently, having retired from fulltime farming he lives with his family in Switzerland. Writing as a self-published author is his main activity, whilst inconsistently helping to maintain the household. The share of domestic responsibility has recently been augmented by the need to walk the dog. This regularly imposed time in the countryside has greatly added to his time to daydream ideas. So what in the years and places has inspired his writing? A diverse education certainly helps, but what really has driven this ambition has been a nosey interest in others' fortunes. Innate character as well as experience has certainly added to the drive to write, in that it seems likely that whatever his upbringing he would have been more of a story teller, an observer, rather than a volunteer character in dynamic adventures. Of course, life often…

Author Interview with Clarice Williams Clarice Williams whose pen name is C. JoVan Williams, was born and raised in Chicago, IL, but now resides in New Jersey as an Air Force spouse, with a blended family of six. She credits her writing inspirations from her experiences as a military spouse, mother, college graduate, Government worker, silly daughter, and an overbearing older sister to many. She also writes for Military Spouse Magazine. Her books are available on Amazon. Email: clarice.jovan@gmail.com Stephanie: Hello Clarice! Congrats on winning the BRAG Medallion. Please tell me about your book, Veggie's Bully. Clarice: Thank you! It's the second book in my Chef ReCee Jay & Friends book series. This story is different from other bully books where everyone is shaking hands and becoming friends in the end. Veggie's Bully children's book shows the anger Veggie feels about being bullied, her friend who wants revenge, and the voice of reasoning who helps them see her situation a bit differently. For some events, I also sell Uncle Bear and Carb Monkey plush toys along with the book. I'm still searching for a vendor to help me with Veggie Bunnie. Stephanie: I really admire the premise of your story…

There is a misconception that a book is not a great gift for Christmas.– how wrong that is!No, perhaps they don't light up or shoot darts, and most don't play music (although some do!). But here are some reasons that a book is the perfect gift- 1. A book is a very personal gift. What better way is there to show that you really care about someone than to spend the time to find a gift that you think they will like. There is a book for every interest and every age. By putting a little extra thought into your gift the recipient will be moved by your thoughtfulness. 2. Books last a life time. Every time someone picks up a book, opens it and reads your Christmas message, they will think of you. 3. Books are inexpensive and easy to buy- especially online. 4. There are no batteries to buy, no sizes to know, and no color to worry about! 5. A book can entertain, teach, and share your interests and experiences. 6. There is a book for every age, race, religion and educational level. 7. And don't forget that books are a great gift to donate to…

Author Interview - Christopher Angel Christopher, congrats on winning the BRAG Medallion for your book, Mona Lisa Speaks and thank you for chatting with me today. What a fantastic title for a story! Sounds so intriguing. Please tell me about your book. Christopher: Thank you for hosting this chat! The Mona Lisa Speaks is a fictional art heist story, about a Canadian computer programmer hired by the Louvre to update its computer systems. However, he's forced by a mastermind of the French criminal underground, to replace the Mona Lisa with a perfect copy to save the woman he loves. I also write a part for the Mona Lisa herself, who "speaks" to us in the grand tradition of magic realism. Writing her was a lot of fun! Stephanie: Okay, I have to ask. What was the inspiration for your story and how did you come up with/decide for Robertson Ross, to be an outdoorsy Canadian computer expert? What a great combination! Christopher: First, I was inspired to write this story by my own visit to the Louvre. I left wondering why the Mona Lisa was the most famous painting there – there are many great works in the Louvre…